Bikram Sekhon

Bikram is a Registered Nurse in Calgary, working in the area of Addiction & Mental Health with organizations like Alberta Health Services and The Alex. He received his Bachelor of Kinesiology in 2009 and his Bachelor of Nursing in 2013, both from the University of Calgary. Bikram is investigating the association between early childhood adversity in human mothers and DNA methylation patterns in their biological infants. DNA methylation is one mechanism by which social and environmental influences can alter genetic expression (i.e. epigenetics), and has been associated with compromised mental health and addiction. The biological underpinnings of mental illness and addiction are becoming much more understood, alongside the social influences. However, intergenerational trauma is still mostly explained as a result of social factors; this research may help elucidate a biological mechanism in the transfer of trauma from one generation to the next.